Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

Penelope had been poked and prodded, had one too many doctors come and assess her psychologically and now she'd had enough. She was haunted by what had occurred, she knew she was going to, she resigned herself to that factor back in the house when Andy had finally left her alone. She knew the happenings; she knew she needed to let it out to move on and she was well and truly going there but what she didn't like was being told what she'd done wrong. That factor only made her worse and that seemed to be the only that no one told her.

'So Penelope...' The doctor asked as they sat together in his office 4 days later for their first and single session in California, Derek was waiting outside and Penelope just wanted this to be over so she could go home, get closer to getting out of the hospital. Home. A place she now knew as Quantico. 'Want to tell me what was going on that made you change lifestyles so dramatically?'

'I was feeling...' She searched for the word and sucked in a deep breath. 'I was feeling pressured and alone and like no one around me took any notice anymore.'

'Who are you talking about specifically?'

'The people I work with, my boyfriend.'

'The people you work with? Explain to me how they didn't notice you.'

'We're more of a family unit, we don't look at each other as boss and colleagues, we look out for one another but we all hit a rough patch with the job and we all just drifted.'

'So what makes you worse than them?'

'I don't know, I guess I'm use to some extent of neglect, they go away on cases and I stay behind but this was different. The cases got harder, the effects worsened and nothing I said or did worked like it used to, it was like I was hitting a wall each and every time.'

'So you gave up?'

'I guess I did.'

'Have you ever looked at what insecurities you have for running?'

'My insecurities?'

'Well yes, qualities about you that might have contributed to this sudden change.' Penelope went silent, she looked down. 'There could be some conflict there.' He saw her hesitate. 'How about you just tell me what's on your mind? Tell me everything that led to you coming here.'

Penelope sucked in a deep breath. 'I guess that since my parents died I just wanted to fit in, I lost my whole family that day and when I got the job in Quantico I found a new family, one that clicked, one that felt right and I wanted nothing more than to hold onto it as tightly as possible.

We'd help one another through our problems, through bad cases, celebrate good cases and at the end of the day be happy and satisfied but after I got shot I wanted my old family back, I had no right to just leave without an explanation.

So I headed back to California where my brother Andy met up with me, he told me that the others didn't want to see me and that they'd only see me if I paid for leaving, almost paying for my sins.' She drew in a shaky breath. 'I hit a rough patch in my relationship with my boyfriend and I knew I didn't want to be in it anymore and so I devoted more and more time to the team.

More time to my best friend, who I recently realised again that I'm in love with, I'd never tell him that but when my boyfriend proposed and I turned it down I ran to him, to see if he was okay and to sort my head out. But when I got there he was with a girl and the way she spoke told me he hadn't told me and something shifted, like a separator between us and all I could do was run, I just couldn't watch him with another woman like that so I ran, selfishly ran.

I called my brother who met me and the abuse began, after 3 weeks he let me go back, told me I had to resign and it had to be effective immediately, he told me he'd know if it was done and if it wasn't then I'd face the consequence which would be that no one would find me ever again.

I did as he asked and we headed to California where he just kept going on and on about how it was like an initiation to the Garcia family and slowly I regretted it, I didn't want to be part of a family if this was the way it was going to happen.' Penelope said with tears streaming down her face. 'My brother Joel tried to get me out of it but when Andy found the picture of me and Derek, he got worse and told me the end was nearly there and I thought if I could just survive it then I'd have a family. It had to be only a couple more days and then I'd have a place so I did as Andy wanted and I let him do as he pleased but Joel stepped up the game and proved who my real family are.'

'And that includes the man outside?' Penelope nodded. 'Do you blame yourself at all?'

'Entirely, if it wasn't for me I wouldn't have put them all through this, I guess I was weak and would allow myself to be put in that situation with my brother.'

'I don't think you're weak Penelope, it showed courage and your vulnerability but it showed you'd do anything for family. You might be hurt but it's nothing that you can't move on from, its nothing that won't heal in time.' He saw Penelope smile and then looked at the time, he rounded off the session and led her out, Derek immediately jumped up from his seat and went to her.

'Everything okay?'

'Perfectly handsome.'

'Come on let's get you back to your room.'

'I want to go home Derek.' She told him hopeful. 'I don't want to be here, I can't get better here.'

'I'll talk to the doctor.'

'I mean I want to go home, home.' She told him again, and he smiled. 'With you.' His smile doubled again, and he looked at her and she smiled at him, he'd asked her, if not jumpily, that he wanted her to move in with him, he wanted to show her what family she had and that meant with him as well as the team. With him, she had a man that loved her, that would protect her, that would shield her from harm's way and a man that wanted a future with her. She'd been wary, she'd only just had them back 4 days and now he was proposing a future with him but after that session and being allowed to get it all off her chest she knew what she wanted and she knew not to wait for it to be landed in her lap, she needed to cease the moment herself or she'd continue to lose.

'Do you mean it?' He asked hopeful. 'Do you really want to start this with me?'

'I wouldn't just tell you if I didn't, I want to start anew, I want to get what I want, I don't want to wait.'

'Do you realise how happy you've just made me?' He said and looked at her as they waited for the elevator. 'You've probably made me the happiest and luckiest man alive.'

'Hardly.'

'Don't you dare go there baby girl, I've been left in panic mode having my last sight of you being hurt and then to find you so small and in need of help in that house, all I could do was do what I do best.' She smiled at him as they finally climbed into the elevator. 'I ran in there and helped get you out.'

'Like my hero.'

'Baby...'

'Don't' you dare disagree; I had been praying that you'd do the agent job and just save me and I didn't know Joel was in cahoots with you guys and then when everything was getting unbearable and I wanted the end to swallow me up and be done with it but you came through the door and I felt my end coming but not what I wanted originally.'

'That's good baby girl.' He told her. 'I'm glad I was your hero.'

'Always my hero.' She told him and leant on him. 'Do you know how embarrassing it is to walk around in your PJ's?'

'Embarrassing? I'd call it sexy.'

'Oh really, and Agent Morgan does that mean you feel confident enough to follow through on years of flirtatious turning on?'

Derek laughed. 'Well TA Garcia, it depends, are you able to handle me?'

'Well if I get too hot and you start to melt I'll stop.' He laughed and she smiled teasingly at him, and all he did was slowly and gently cradle her as he kissed her on the lips.